Amplify Tablet

Rethinking classroom learning through a teacher–student tablet experience

One of my most formative experiences in education and collaborative design. As part of a ThoughtWorks team working with Amplify, I helped design tablet software for K-12 classrooms, creating dual experiences for teachers and students. As the only designer in Brazil, I worked across time zones with teams in the US, learning to communicate design intent that survived the distance.

Situation

Amplify is a K-12 education company that creates curriculum and assessment tools, now serving over 18 million students and teachers globally. When I joined, they were starting with their first MVPs for teacher and student tablets, devices that needed to work together in real-time to bring digital learning into classrooms.

Teacher and student tablets designed to work together in the classroom.

Task

Design the tablet experience for two very different users, teachers and students, that needed to feel cohesive while serving distinct needs. Teachers needed to manage classrooms, track progress, and control lesson flow. Students needed focused, engaging interfaces that minimised distraction. All of this in a dynamic, often noisy classroom environment where every interaction had to be intuitive.

As the only designer in Brazil working with teams in the US, I also needed to find ways to collaborate effectively across time zones.

Action

Informed by Research
Worked closely with researchers who were spending their days in schools observing how teachers and students actually use technology in classrooms. Their findings informed every design decision, from navigation patterns to visual hierarchy.

Teacher-Side Architecture and Flow
I worked mostly on the teacher side, focusing on architecture and flow. What we built for teachers had to reflect well on the student tablet, so every decision considered both sides. The quiz feature is one example: teachers control the flow while students see a focused, distraction-free experience.

Teacher dashboard and student interface designed for their distinct needs.

Low-Distraction Design
Focused on visual precision, minimal cognitive load, and intuitive transitions. In a classroom, you can’t afford confusion or unnecessary complexity.

Fully Asynchronous Collaboration
Working between Porto Alegre and NYC meant fully asynchronous collaboration was a necessity, not a choice. We created robust practices, check-ins, and ceremonies that helped the team stay focused and deliver value. Thorough documentation and communicating design intent in ways that survived the time zone gap became essential skills.

Result

• Shipped classroom flows that powered pilot programs in US schools
• Validated teacher workflows with real educators before full development investment
• The tablet hardware was discontinued in 2015 due to field challenges, but Amplify pivoted successfully to curriculum software and today serves over 18 million students globally

This project shaped how I think about designing for education, working closely with research, and collaborating across distance.